Polishing wheel and method for producing such wheel



Aug. 1969 lill linh i wil FIG. 4.

Au 26,1969 D. R. YOK L- 3,462,888

POLISHING WHEEL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUCH WHEEL- Filed Jan. 24, 1967a Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2.

3!? Q 25 m I 1 3 9 35 5 3i FIG.3.

Aug. 26, 1969 D. R. YOKEL 3,462,888

POLISHING WHEEL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUCH WHEEL Filed Jan. 24. 1967s Sheets-Sheet? FIG].

United States Patent 3,462,888 POLISHING WHEEL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCINGSUCH WHEEL Donald R. Yoke], Glenshaw, Pa., assignor to SchaffnerManufacturing Company, Inc., Emsworth, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Filed Jan. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 611,286 Int. Cl. B24b 9/02,29/00 US. Cl. 51-336 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of theinvention This invention relates to the polishing and bufiing art andhas particular relationship to polishing wheels. The word polishing andthe expression polishing wheel and like expressions are used in thisapplication in their general sense and are meant to include within theirscope bufiing and finishing as well as polishing.

Typical of prior-art polishing wheels with which this invention concernsitself is a wheel, as shown in Schaeffner Patent 3,206,894 dated Sept.21, 1965. This wheel includes an annulus of leaves, usually of abrasivematerial having a hard core formed by injecting an adhesive between theleaves near the radially inner ends of the leaves and thereafter curingthe adhesive. In use this wheel is driven by a shaft or arbor 97, FIG.8, which is secured to removable flanges or end-plates 91, FIG. 8, heldby nuts 99 engaging thread on the shaft.

Numerous polishing wheels as disclosed in Schaifner patent are in useand are giving highly satisfactory service. A demand has arisen for theuse of such wheels in polishing strip in a strip mill or for likeservice. In such use a number of wheels, as many as ten or twenty, aremounted on a single shaft and are rotated in polishing engagement withthe surface of the strip along its whole width.

In mounting prior-art wheels for such use it is necessary thatend-plates or flanges be secured to each wheel of each array of wheelson a shaft. In use the leaves of some or all of the wheels are worn outin a relatively short time and it is frequently necessary that thewornout wheels on each shaft be removed and replaced by a new wheel.Each such replacement requires renewed removal and mounting of theend-plates or flanges. The mounting or remounting of prior-art wheels istime consuming and has a high labor cost and a high downtime cost.

It is an object of this invention to overcome this disadvantage of theprior-art Wheels and to reduce substantially the labor cost of mountingan array of polishing wheels on a shaft and the down time involved inreplacement of worn out wheels of such an array. It is an object of thisinvention to provide a polishing wheel for acomplishing the above-statedobject and a method of making such a wheel.

Summary of the invention In accordance with this invention a polishingwheel is provided which includes an annulus of leaves of polishingmaterial having a hardened inner core and having flanges or end-platesextending over the surfaces of the annulus near its inner periphery andsecured to said surface by tabs penetrating between the leaves of thecore of the annulus and held by the adhesive between the leaves. Theflanges have bent over lips which serve as a bearing for a drive shaftand axially aligned keyways for engaging the keys of a drive shaft. Thetabs have surfaces of appreciable area which are generally parallel tothe contiguous leaves of the core and which suppress any tendency of theflanges to move circumferentially relative to the annulus. The tabs maybe knock-outs from the surface of the flanges and may be formed by astamping operation where the flanges are formed.

In accordance with this invention the wheels according to this inventionare made by forming the annulus, injecting the adhesive between theleaves near the inner periphery of the annulus, while the adhesive isuncured, mounting the flanges with the tabs in the adhesive between theleaves near the inner periphery of the annulus, and thereafter curingthe adhesive to produce the hardened core with the flanges secured toit.

When the polishing wheel according to this invention is used, inpolishing strip or like operation in array of wheels are mountedcontiguously on a drive shaft which passes through the wheels. The shafthas keys which engages the keyways in the end-plates in drivingrelationtionship. The wheels are slipped over the shaft; there are noflanges to count or secure. Renewal of Worn out wheels is a likeeconomic operation.

Brief description of drawing For a better understanding of thisinvention, both as to its organization and as to its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof,reference is made to the following description, taken with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a polishing wheel according to thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a flange of the wheel shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective showing a portion of the wheel shown inFIG. 1 severed at a leaf engaged by tabs of the flanges and viewed inthe direction of line IV-lV;

FIG. 5 is a view in longitudinal section showing an array of wheels on ashaft as they are used in polishing strip or in like operations; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 but showing thedimensions of typical end plates.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are included in an effort to aid those skilled in the artin practicing this invention and not with any intention of limiting thisapplication.

Description of preferred embodiments The apparatus according to thisinvention is a polishing wheel 10 including an annulus 11 of leaves 13of abrasive fabric having a hard core 15. Each core 15 has a circulargroove 17 near its inner periphery 19 of the annulus 11 in each face.

Near the inner periphery of each wheel an end-plate or flange 21 issecured to each core 15. Each end-plate 21 is a flat annular circulardisc having a projection 23 of I cross-section extending towards theannulus 11 at the outer end and a lip 25 extending inwardly of theannulus 11 at the inner end. The projection 23 engages the groove 17 inthe annulus 11 and the projection 25 serves as a bushing for a driveshaft 27 for the apparatus. The endplate 21 has diametrically oppositekeyways 31 at its inner periphery. Between the projections 23 and 25 theend-plates has a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots 33. Aplurality of tabs 35 extend generally perpendicularly from eachend-plate 21 between the projections 23 and 25. The tabs 35 are spacedcircumferentially around the end-plate.

Typically each tab 35 may be in the shape of a plane geometric figure,for example, a triangle (or a part of a circle), having a linear side37. The tab may be formed by slitting or deforming the end plates alonglines corresponding to the portion of the tab extending from the linearside 37 and bending the surface defined by the slits or deformed linesalong the linear side. The tabs 35 penetrate between the leaves 13 ofthe core 15 of the annulus and secure the end-plates to the annulus. Theplanes of the faces 39 of the tabs are parallel to the leaves so thatthe tabs prevent circumferential movement of the end-plates relative tothe annulus.

End-plates 21 are secured to the cores 15 on opposite sides of the core15. The keyways 31 of both of these plates 21 are axially aligned.

In the typical use of the apparatus according to this invention aplurality of wheels are mounted on a drive-shaft 27 with theirend-plates 21 contiguous. The wheels 10 are slipped over the shaft.There are no flanges to secure separately for each wheel. The wheels 10are mounted with slots 33 in the flanges 21 aligned axially. Air may beblown through the slots 33 to cool the inner peripheries 19 of thewheels 10.

In making the wheel 10 according to this invention the annulus 11 isformed by slipping leaves 13 on a solid ring 41 through slits in theends of the leaves as taught by Schatfner 3,206,894. Once the annulus isformed, an adhesive is inserted by centrifugal force or otherwise astaught by Schaflner 3,206,894, through the inner periphery of theannulus 11. Typically the adhesive may include 100 parts by weight ofepoxy resin 507 and 25 parts by weight of hardener 956 both made by CibaProducts Co. of Fair Lawn, NJ. These products and their use aredescribed in Ciba Technical Bulletins 20131/3 and 20312/7 respectively.After the adhesive is injected the end-plates 21 are firmly placed onthe faces of the annulus 11 with the tabs 35 penetrating between theleaves 13. The adhesive is then cured to form the hardened core andsecure the end-plates 21.

While preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed hereinmany modifications thereof are feasible. This invention then is not tobe restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the spirit of theprior art.

I claim as my invention:

ing eflfect on a surface by frictional engagement with said surface,said leaves at the inner periphery of said annulus having an adhesivebond therebetween defining a hardened inner core, said wheel also havingflanges, contiguous to the surface of said annulus near said innerperiphery, for supporting a drive shaft, said flanges having tabsthereon extending outwardly therefrom, said flanges being secured tosaid core by said tabs which penetrate into the adhesive betweenadjacent leaves and are secured in said adhesive.

2. The wheel of claim 1 wherein the flanges for each Wheel have axiallyaligned keyways for engaging the key of the drive shaft.

1. A polishing wheel comprising an annulus of a plurality of leaves of amaterial capable of producing a polish- 3. The method of making apolishing Wheel from a plurality of leaves of a material capable ofproducing a polishing effect on a surface by frictional engagement withsaid surface, the said method comprising assembling said leaves into anannulus with the leaves extending radially from the axis of saidannulus, injecting an adhesive between the leaves near the innerperiphery of the annulus, said adhesive penetrating between said leavesa predetermined distance from the inner periphery of said annulus,engaging a flange having tabs extending perpendicularly therefrom withthe surface of said annulus adjacent the said inner periphery with thetabs extending into said adhesive between certain of said leaves, andcuring said adhesive to secure said flange.

4. The wheel of claim 1 wherein each tab has a surface of appreciablearea which is generally parallel to the contiguous leaves between whichit is inserted and in the use of the wheel prevents circumferentialmovement of the flange relative to the annulus of leaves.

5. The wheel of claim 1 wherein each tab is in the shape of a planegeometric figure having a linear side and is formed by stamping areadily removable configuration in the surface of the flangecorresponding to all but the linear side of the figure and bending thestamped configuration about the one side to a position generallyperpendicular to said surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,693,163 11/1928 Schacht 51-3792,474,063 6/1949 Newton 51-335 2,522,920 9/ 1950 Baltes 51335 2,818,6921/1958 Bernstein 51-337 2,842,902 7/1958 Miller et a1. 51337 3,206,894-9/ 1965 Schaffner 51-336 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner

